Entries in flower pots
(6)

For most of my gardening life, I was able to plant without giving any consideration to flower pots, boxes, or baskets. Many of my generation presumed that if one had fertile flower beds, there was no need to grow anything in a pot. Only those who wanted to add a romantic or Tyrolean touch to the exterior of their homes added flower boxes to their window sills. Well, times have changed; the flower box has moved from the window sill onto the patio and surrounding grounds. Planting in containers has not only become an integral part of garden design, but it is also regarded as a skillful art that combines craft and horticulture. It is also hepful in expanding the usable growing surfaces of very small gardens.

This book examines the fundamental knowledge required to be successful and is ideally suited to the uninitiated. It is not intended for advanced gardeners who are ready to take their container gardening skills to the next level by experimenting with contemporary trends and functionality.

The authors divide the book into 5 easy pieces. The first chapter introduces the reader to ideal locations for containers, such as entranceways, patios, balconies, roof gardens, and paths. The second chapter is an extensive overview of the various options the gardener has in choosing pots based on sizes and types, such as stationary, hanging, window and unusual. Also included is a guide for converting galvanized buckets into containers with a verdigris effect and a suggestion how to transform a new clay pot into a weathered one. Chapter three presents a lesson on designing containers in traditional spirits using foliage or flowering plants.

The next section deals with care and maintenance. Here the authors recommend tools for efficient work and explain how plants grow in containers. They discuss potting and repotting, instruct on growing media [a kind of soil or soil replacement product], feeding, watering, pruning, staking [yes, some potted plants need staking], propagation, maintenance of containers [they need to be cleaned before re using], and disease and pests. To complete this introduction to the subject of container gardening, the authors supply an extensive directory with the names of more than 130 suitable plants.

Since this revised guide was first written in 1995, new ideas have crept into the horticultural world about the uses and aesthetics associated with container gardening. They are not reflected in this guide but that’s OK. New gardeners need to familiarize themselves first with the fundamentals. However, should the publisher decide to issue a newer and updated edition, this book could become the bible for container gardening because it is so well crafted in its seamless presentation and crisp graphic design.